This help page is a how-to guide. It details processes or procedures of some aspect(s) of Wikipedia's norms and practices. It is not one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, and may reflect varying levels of consensus and vetting.

Shortcut WP:ACC/P

This page describes the accepted internal procedures used by and for the Account Creation Interface, primarily relating to the use of administrator tools on the interface.

ACC tool administrators (also called interface administrators or tool admins) are experienced and trusted users who have the technical ability to manage user accounts, edit interface messages (including comments), force break users' reservations and the ability to ban IPs, email addresses and usernames, and certain other abilities. Tool admins have powers similar to Wikipedia administrators (referred to as 'sysops' on this page to avoid confusion) and Wikipedia bureaucrats in the context of the tool.

Tool admins are selected and promoted through a private nomination, voting, discussion, and vetting process between current tool administrators, followed by a consensus reached by tool admins whether or not to proceed with the promotion of the nominated user. Tool admins are not employees or representatives of the Wikimedia Foundation.

Tool admins have the technical ability to:

• assess requests from prospective new tool users, and then approve or decline their request
• suspend, unsuspend, promote, demote, and rename tool user accounts
• edit a user's email address and on-wiki username
• edit a user's comments left on a request
• view comments set as "admin only"
• force break a user's reservation of a request that is being held by an ACC tool user.
• view the requestor's email address and IP address(es) logged in an account request without having to reserve it first, as well as view closed requests
• reset requests that have been closed for longer than a week
• ban and unban IP addresses, IP address ranges, and email addresses from being able to submit new account requests using the ACC tool interface
• edit interface messages, such as internal messages and email templates that are sent to requestors
• search for account requests by IP addresses or IP ranges logged, which will return all results where a requestor submitted a new account request while using that IP or range.
• Silently close a request with a custom response and where no CC is sent to the ACC tool user mailing list
• Authorize dropping a request due to a single IP block affecting the requestor

ACC Tool admins also have access to the private ACC tool admins' mailing list and the private ACC tool admins' IRC channel, which are typically used to discuss sensitive or privileged information, collaborate on internal issues, and discuss or judge the outcome of discussions among ACC tool users.

Promotion

When the existing ACC admin team believes that new admins are needed, they may approach users they believe to be good candidates for the position, and/or put out a call for self-nominations to the general ACC mailing list.

• ACC tool users may not nominate other ACC tool users for candidacy; they can only nominate themselves
• ACC tool admins, individually and at their own discretion, may nominate any user for candidacy and recommend they run for promotion.
  • Only active, current ACC tool users with accounts in good standing (not suspended or under any restrictions) may be nominated.
• All self-nominations should be made in private to the admins' mailing list.
• If a call for self-nominations is opened, the self-nomination period will last one week.
• Optionally, the ACC tool admins may, at their discretion, disclose the number of ACC admin positions they intend to fill in a self-nomination request call.

When all admin-nominated users have responded to the current admins' correspondence either accepting or rejecting their nomination (if applicable) and the seven-day period for self-nominations has elapsed (if applicable), the admin selection process moves on to the vetting and discussion phase. The discussion begins with a general announcement of all the nominees (those who accepted admin nominations - if applicable - and those who self-nominated - if applicable) to the general mailing list. During this period, which also lasts one week, any ACC user may submit in private to the admins' mailing list an email in support of/opposition to any or all candidates. To reduce drama and to encourage honest feedback, these should not be sent to the general mailing list.

Once the discussion phase ends, the ACC admins will consider the submitted comments by the general ACC community and privately discuss the candidates. The final decision of which candidates to promote lies solely with the ACC admin team, though with consideration to the general ACC community's wishes. Specific reasons in favor of or against candidates will not be released to the general ACC population, though they may be relayed privately to each candidate, with all community input anonymized to encourage honest feedback from the community (though, of course, if a candidate is promoted, they will have access to the private admins' mailing list archives, and thus the community input). Note that the ACC admin team may choose to promote none of the candidates, though this an unlikely outcome, especially if there were admin-nominated candidates; they may also choose to promote all the candidates, or any number in between.

Once the admins reach consensus on all the candidates, the results will be announced, and if any of the candidates are selected, they will be promoted at that time.

Note that in line with holding final authority over all ACC matters, the tool roots reserve the right to veto a candidate at any phase during this process for any reason, with the intention that this is only done in exceptional circumstances involving very private information not available to the rest of the ACC admin team.

Please remember that the general attitude about becoming an ACC admin is that it should be No Big Deal™ for experienced, trusted ACC users, and all users should approach the promotion process accordingly.

Demotion

Tool admins may resign or demote themselves for any reason; this reason should preferably be included.

Tool admins may be demoted:

• when there is a consensus of tool admins, if the issue cannot be discussed with non-admin ACC tool users;
• when there is a consensus of tool users;
• when felt necessary by a tool root;
• when requested by ArbCom or the WMF; or
• there are grounds to suspend due to misconduct, but the reviewing tool admin feels it more appropriate to demote.

If an ACC tool admin's acount is suspended for misconduct, the suspension comes with an automatic demotion.

Re-promotion

If a tool admin was demoted under non-voluntary circumstances, due to misconduct or violation of policy, or under any conditions listed in #Demotion, they must be re-promoted to a tool administrator in accordance with the #Promotion and demotion process above. If the user was demoted at the request of ArbCom or the WMF, they must also receive approval by ArbCom or the WMF (respectively) before such promotion can be performed.

Former tool admins may be summarily re-promoted if they voluntarily demoted themselves or were demoted voluntarily or under non-controversial circumstances, meaning that:

• none of the conditions set out in #Demotion applied;
• they didn’t leave or become demoted "under a cloud".
  • If you were not an ACC tool admin during the time that the user was demoted or suspended, or if you don't have any first-hand context, knowledge, or information regarding the reason for the user's demotion or suspension, you must confer with another ACC tool admin and verify that the user was demoted or suspended under non-controversial circumstances and while their status as a tool admin was in good standing.
• they have not been suspended from the tool for more than 6 months; and
• they have guaranteed that they have a thorough understanding of any changes made to WMF, English Wikipedia and ACC rules, policies, and procedures (particularly the guide, and this page).

New tool users

New tool users must meet the criteria in the guide. Any doubts or concerns regarding an applicant’s suitability should be discussed with other ACC Tool Administrators. Due to the extremely high sensitivity of the information that ACC Tool Users have access to, and the consequences that follow as a result of any incorrect or inappropriate actions that an ACC Tool User executes while using the ACC Tool User interface, the threshold for approving a new ACC Tool User's application must be very strict. Preference should be given toward declining a new ACC Tool User request and asking the candidate to come back and re-apply later when they have more experience and trust, rather than just approving the application, with any new ACC Tool User request application where the candidate is "borderline", or where any legitimate and reasonable uncertainty or doubt is expressed by an ACC Tool Administrator regarding the candidate that isn't explicitly addressed by any supporters in the discussion (see Wikipedia's policy on consensus).

Approval

New or returning ACC tool users can only be approved and granted access to the interface by an ACC tool administrator. The process for properly approving a new or returning user is listed below.

Approval procedures for ACC tool administrators

Listed below is the proper procedure for approving and granting a new ACC tool user access to the ACC tool user interface, or for re-approving an existing ACC tool user for access following a suspension of their tool user account.

All of steps list below are required to be followed and in the order in which they are written. Verification of the completion of each step is your responsibility, and can achieved in many different ways. The easiest way is to have another ACC tool administrator go through the process themselves and check your work. Any optional steps, or steps that can be skipped upon certain conditions will be clearly stated.

Suspension

If a user with the account creator user right is suspended from the tool, the right should be removed per this RFC. Suspension of an ACC tool user account can only be performed by an ACC tool administrator, and the user's account creator user right can only be removed by an English Wikipedia administrator. The proper steps and procedures for properly suspending an ACC tool user account is listed below.

Suspension procedures for ACC tool administrators

Listed below is the proper procedure for suspending an ACC tool user, and revoking their access to the ACC tool user interface, as well as all communication channels that contain non-personal information or data.

All of steps list below are required to be followed and in the order in which they are written. Verification of the completion of each step is your responsibility, and can achieved in many different ways. The easiest way is to have another ACC tool administrator go through the process themselves and check your work. Any optional steps, or steps that can be skipped upon certain conditions will be clearly stated.

Inactivity

Any account (other than a tool root or CheckUser flagged account) may be suspended by a tool admin and the account creator user rights removed from their Wikipedia account if their ACC tool user account becomes inactive for 90 days or more, per the tool report. Such suspensions are indefinite by default until the inactive tool user contacts an ACC tool admin to request their tool access be restored. ACC tool root administrators and ACC tool users who are checkusers on the English Wikipedia are exempt from suspension following inactivity.

Users that are suspended due to inactivity may have their account re-activated and their account creator user rights restored by request to any tool admin at any time. Tool admins should ensure that the user is aware of any changes made to policy and procedure while they have been suspended, directing them to re-read the guide and site notice before handling a request is sufficient. If the requesting user has been inactive for a long period or is not familiar to the acting admin, the user's identification status should be verified before proceeding.

Requests for re-activation following a very long period of ACC account inactivity (typically one year or more) may be held pending a review of the user's recent Wikipedia activity, conduct, logs, blocks, and relevant experience at the discretion and judgment of the acting ACC tool admin. Such requests that are put on hold pending a review of the user should be communicated to the ACC tool administrators by emailing the ACC tool administrator mailing list.

Own request and self-suspension

Any ACC tool user may request that their account be suspended by contacting any tool admin, although preferably by sending an email to the ACC tool admin mailing list. As with ACC tool users that are suspended due to inactivity, they will have their account creator user rights removed from their Wikipedia account during the suspension and may have their account re-activated and the rights restored by request to any tool admin at any time.

Any ACC tool admin may self-suspend their own account for any reason and at any time by using the interface to do so; the reason should be stated as being a "self-suspension" and include a reason for the self-suspension. Other tool admins should only re-approve the account if they are confident that the reason for the self-suspension has passed (for example that the user wishes to return or that there is no longer a chance of hijacking). See the #Re-promotion section above.

Misconduct

Tool users may be suspended for any of the following reasons until they can convince the suspending tool admin, or tool admin team, that they can be trusted and will handle requests correctly in the future:

1. Wikipedia account sanctions. If the tool user's Wikipedia account becomes blocked, banned, or globally locked for a reason in which the user's trust or ability to properly use the tool is called into question by the ACC tool admin team, the tool user account may be suspended for the duration of the block or ban, or longer depending on the reason and the severity of the matter involved. If the Wikipedia account becomes the subject of active sanctions, editing restrictions, or remedies (either community-imposed or as a result of an ArbCom ruling), the tool user's account may also be subject to suspension. For example: A tool user who becomes blocked for outing or sockpuppetry will typically be given an indefinite suspension on their ACC account. Blocks on other Wikimedia projects may be taken into account if they are for highly severe violations of policy, or the breaching of non-public data.
2. Repeatedly violating the ACC guide. If the tool user begins a pattern of incorrectly handling account requests which results in one or more incorrect closes, suspensions may be imposed. Examples include creating an account where the IP is blocked, or overriding the antispoof check and creating an account for a request where "active" similar accounts exist. Tool admins should give leniency for new tool users, and for more experienced tool users where it is obvious they made an honest mistake. However, when a warning is repeated and appears to be the beginning of a pattern of incorrect closes, appropriate punishments and/or suspensions should be considered.
3. Breaching privacy in ACC comments. Releasing personally identifying information in an ACC request comment, and after being previously counseled or warned, will result in account suspension.
4. Breaching privacy outside the ACC tool. Releasing personally identifying information outside of the ACC tool will result in suspensions, even if it is a first offense.
5. Continued misconduct after previous counseling and/or previous suspensions. If the user has been previously counseled and/or temporarily suspended, and if they continue to breach or violate any WMF, English Wikipedia, or ACC policies, guidelines, or procedures - indefinite suspension is the next step in the escalation of appropriate sanctions.
6. Compromised accounts. Suspected or confirmed compromised accounts should be suspended indefinitely until the matter is resolved.

Users, including tool admins, may also be suspended for any of the following reasons:

1. Loss of trust by the ACC tool admins. If the user no longer has the trust of the tool admin team for a reason not stated above, the tool user's account can be suspended. The suspension must be supported by a consensus of tool admins, and should only be lifted if there is a consensus of tool admins.
2. Loss of trust by the ACC tool user team. If the user no longer has the trust of the ACC team, the tool user's account can be suspended. In this case, the suspension must only be lifted if there is a consensus of the ACC tool user team.
3. When requested by a functionary, ArbCom, or the WMF. When requested by a CheckUser, ArbCom or the WMF, the ACC tool user account must be suspended. In this situation, suspensions can only be lifted with the express consent of the CheckUser, CheckUser team, ArbCom Team, or the WMF, respectively.

ACC tool admins should bear in mind the sensitivity of the information on the tool and the possible consequences of incorrect actions when deciding whether to proceed with a suspension or the lifting of a suspension. Instructions for suspension and (re)activation of an account following a suspension are outlined in this page above.

Appeal

Appeals regarding suspensions and denial of tool access should be directed to, in the first instance, the tool admin who carried out the action directly. If a discussion or reason that is satisfactory isn't reached by the suspended user, then the tool admin mailing list can be contacted by the suspended user requesting an appeal (except where stated otherwise). It must include verification that the suspended ACC tool admin was contacted first and the reason that you're choosing to appeal to the team instead.

An ACC user must never have access to any mailing list, IRC channel, or other privileged space if it is restricted to ACC users with higher access than they have on the ACC tool user interface. They should have the same access to other areas that are restricted to their level of access (or below) to the ACC tool user interface. An example would be that a non-tool admin must not have access to the tool admin mailing list or the tool admin IRC channel.

If a user is suspended for any reason or duration, their access to the mailing list and the IRC channel should also be revoked during the suspension.

All emails sent to tool users relating to their use of the tool should be carbon copied to the ACC tool admin mailing list. All emails sent to requesters should be carbon copied to the ACC tool user mailing list.

IP addresses

IP addresses may be banned if they have recently been, or are being used to abusively request accounts or if they are static and non-shared and are confirmed to be used by a blocked or banned user on the English Wikipedia or a globally locked/blocked user. In cases of severe and constant abuse of the tool, that is multiple bad-faith account requests coming in a short period of time, shared or dynamic IP address may be banned for a short period of time, generally not more than 24 hours to one week except in the case of severe and continued abuse, in which case it might be worth consulting a CheckUser to determine what exactly is going on.

Care should be taken when banning IP addresses which may be used by more than one person, as banning these IPs may undermine the role of the ACC tool.

Email addresses

Email addresses may be banned if they have been used to abusively request accounts or if they are confirmed to have been or currently used by a blocked or banned user on the English Wikipedia or globally locked user. Email addresses should generally be banned indefinitely.

Usernames

A requested username may be banned if more than one bad-faith account request has been made requesting that username. Bans made pre-emptively or after one request may be made at a tool admin’s discretion with good reason. Usernames should generally be banned indefinitely.

Lifting bans

Given the confidential information involved with the ACC tool, the tool admin may not have disclosed the full circumstances in their ban reason so they must be consulted before a ban is lifted. If it is obvious that a ban has been placed in error it may be lifted by any tool admin, as long as an explanation is sent to the tool admin mailing list.

The banning tool admin may remove the ban at any time, at their discretion. A consensus of tool admins or non-admin tool users (only where all information regarding the ban can be disclosed) is required to overturn any ban which the banning tool admin does not believe should be lifted.

Ban appeals

Bans may be appealed to the ACC administrators' mailing list.

CheckUser and ArbCom bans

Bans which are labelled as a CheckUser or ArbCom ban must not be removed by any tool admin without first checking with a CheckUser or ArbCom respectively. Lifting a ban labelled as such is grounds for immediate demotion.

A user’s reservation of a request may be forcefully broken when a request has been waiting without an indication of why, and if the user who reserved the request is not available.

The user whose reservation was broken should be informed. An email CCed to the admin mailing list or a message on IRC is sufficient.

Tool admins may edit any comment of another user if its content breaches the requirements of any WMF, English Wikipedia or ACC rule, policy or procedure. This is primarily the case when personally identifying information is left in a comment.

The user who made the comment should be counseled on why they should not have put what they did in their comment. Also let them know that they may be suspended for any further infringement.

Old requests may only be reset where there is a need to do so, such as when a requester has sent an email to the mailing list after the request was closed pending a reply.

Extreme caution should be taken if the account was created, as this is tantamount to running a CheckUser and sharing it with the team.

CheckUsers and Arbitrators are bound by relevant WMF and English Wikipedia policies.

Any changes to the guide, published procedures or internal private procedures which someone may object to, or which is a major change should be discussed before being implemented or enforced. Directives from the WMF and updates due to changes to English Wikipedia policies and guidelines are exempt from this requirement.